The bodies of three men were found in a car in Ogose, Saitama Prefecture, in what police said was a suicide. A woman was also found unconscious in the car and is in a stable condition in hospital, police said Saturday.
According to police, at around 4 p.m. Friday, the car was seen in the parking lot of an observatory. A passerby saw four people slumped inside the car and called police, NTV reported.
Police said charcoal fumes inside the car were strong when they opened the doors. The three men were confirmed dead at the scene and the woman was taken to hospital.
The woman told police later that she and the men did not know each other and had met on a suicide site on the Internet.
Police said one of the men was from Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture, while the other two were from Tokyo and Saitama. They were all in their 20s, while the woman, 22, is from Aomori Prefecture.
© Japan Today
17 Comments
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sensei258
Sad that young people with their whole lives ahead of them would think this was a good idea.
irisdayne
Thats crazy that people would meet on the internet for something like this
greensatindress
I honestly don't know how people find these suicide pact sites.
Mirai Hayashi
"Suicide site" - Sounds really cheerful /sarcasm
Rosemary Aud Franklin
At the very least, they didn't have to die alone.
Speed
As sad as this is, I'm so glad to read that there weren't any kids/teens dragged along with this suicide plot. That I can't stomach.
I feel that adults ending their lives together painlessly without hurting/bothering others is OK.
But for those in their early 20s, it's a damn shame considering they can up and leave whatever situation/depression they're in and still have a long full life ahead of them.
If it were me, I'd pack up and wander around India then the rest of the world. See and feel things I've never seen before. Beats dying.
danalawton1@yahoo.com
In their early 20's.... Japan can be an unforgiving place... where there sometimes are no second chances. Many of the people I knew back in the USA had dropped out of High School and yet that didn't stop them... after awhile they saw the light and got the HS Diploma... and then entered college and even got degrees... In Japan you usually have just once chance to get a degree and get into a good company. Not saying this was the case with these young adults... but it might have been...
Rahul Kumar Nirmal
@Speed, you are ageist, no? You have no issues with adults ending their lives painlessly without hurting others but it really bothers you if a child or teenager does the same thing?
Did you ever think that maybe YOU can just go up and leave and travel around the world, but not everyone else can, probably from lacking money, time to take off for a vacation, language barrier, etc?
badsey3
mithridatism = when will this Woman strike again?
=We all pick Saitama (of course).
bonestructure
Why is it always Saitama lately? It's weird.
yuripie
so all people have the money to travel ? wow
there are no people who want to do suicide if they have money, in good health condition, and have a good family
nonanimejapan
In my opinion, the internet can be a great place for building supportive communities. I am, in fact, a user of one of these sites which has been instrumental in my personal, social, and even academic development. However, to hear that there are communities online that do not assist with life's challenges, and instead, assist to cease life so that the challenge can cease is quite disturbing. There needs to be a greater encouragement for people, who struggle with various issues and use the internet frequently, to join these online support communities. Life is very difficult, but it is important to understand that we are not alone.
Thomas Miller
Bonestructure:
Its not. Did you read the article? Only one of the people involved were from Saitama. One was from Kanagawa, one was from Tokyo, and one was from Aomori.
Simply because many of the crime articles featured on Japantoday occur in Saitama does not mean Saitama is significantly more violent than anywhere else in Japan; its not. Look at national crime statistics.
jojo_in_japan
Hope the young lady will realize how precious life is.
Thunderbird2
I will never understand why people form suicide pacts. The fact that there are web sites for people to arrange to meet to top themselves is just barmy. Come on Japan... get a grip. There's nothing worth killing yourself for!
sfjp330
In Japan, many families don't show any interest in their child whatsoever. They are the parents who never ask how their children did on the the certain test, These apathetic parents cause just as much damage by acting as if nothing their child does matters. Accomplishments aren't recognized, failures aren't discussed, and improvement isn't encouraged or nurtured. In the end, it comes down to communication. Yes, depression is a medical condition, and sometimes the only effective treatment is medication. In some cases the depression is a byproduct of an underlying medical condition. For some, talking to therapist and having emotional support might be enough. Having a parent they can turn to and depend on for support is vital to a young people's mental health. They're simple, and they're something every child should receive daily, especially in stressful Japan.